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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fork — in a road
  4. spell — magic
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. rock — a stone
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. root — of a word
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rock — music
  15. bark — to shout
  16. root — the cause
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — a garden tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com